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Monthly Archives
Announcement
Listen to "Announcement"Welcome to military history podcast. My name is George Hageman. I don’t have an episode for you today: only an announcement. I graduated from high school in June and in August, I will be attending Harvard. I will no longer have the time to write and can no longer afford to voluntarily produce Military History podcast episodes. So, I am here to announce that I taking an extended leave from Military History Podcast. I intend to return periodically whenever I am offered another contract or whenever I feel inspired. The good thing is that I just signed a contract with my literary agent, Elizabeth Wales and I hope to get a short military history book published in about two years. If and when I do finish the book and get it published, I will let you all know and hopefully, you will enjoy it. Until then, thanks to all of your for listening over these past few years, especially to those who sent me comments suggestions and other feedback. My email is still militaryhistorypodcast@gmail.com, if you ever want to contact me. It’s been a pleasure. Thank you and goodbye.
Forces of Nature (2)
Listen to "Forces of Nature (2)"Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-related occurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact on military operations. At the small end of the scale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect a battle or a small war. For example, many armies have postponed their campaigns due to inclement weather conditions, and many militaries have suffered from rampant disease. On the other end of the scale are the times when nature has so much of an impact that the fate of an entire nation or civilization is decided upon it. In the words of Charles Darwin, these are times when “the war of nature” results in the downfall of one party and the rise of another.
- Colonization Smallpox: Rampant disease severely weakened the Aztecs and Incas, allowing small bands of Spanish conquistadors (led by Cortez and Pizarro, respectively) to easily overthrow two great empires.
- Revolutionary Wind and Fog: Heavy winds subsided after the Battle of Long Island, allowing American troops to evacuate and fight another day. Their retreat was concealed by a dense fog. Later, just before the Battle of Trenton, a heavy fog concealed the Americans long enough to conduct a surprise attack which greatly boosted the morale of the Continental Army.
- Russian Winter: Cold temperatures forced Napoleon to retreat after he failed to conquer Russia and find accommodations in Moscow. The lack of grass and unfrozen roads resulted in the destruction of up to 75% of Napoleon's Army as it marched back to France.
Hopkins' The Great Killer
Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel
McCullough's 1776
Burton's Napoleon's Invasion of Russia
Tolstoy's War and Peace
George's Napoleon's Invasion of Russia
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
Forces of Nature (1)
Listen to "Forces of Nature (1)"Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-related occurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact on military operations. At the small end of the scale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect a battle or a small war. For example, many armies have postponed their campaigns due to inclement weather conditions, and many militaries have suffered from rampant disease. On the other end of the scale are the times when nature has so much of an impact that the fate of an entire nation or civilization is decided upon it. In the words of Charles Darwin, these are times when “the war of nature” results in the downfall of one party and the rise of another.
- Thales' Eclipse: Halted the epic Battle of Halys River, thereby saving one or both of the participants (Lydia and Media) from destruction.
- Kamikaze (Divine Wind): Created a storm that destroying the invading Mongol fleets, thereby saving Japan from foreign conquest.
- Athenian Typhoid: Wreaked havoc throughout Athens, contributing to its downfall in the Peloponnesian War.
- Bering Land Bridge: Facilitated the "invasion" of North America.
- Clouds over Kokura: Obscured the primary target for the "Fat Man" atomic bomb, thereby saving Kokura but resulting in the destruction of Nagasaki.
- Legend of Quetzacoatl: Convinced the Aztecs that Cortez was the reincarnation of Quetzacoatl, thereby facilitating the Spanish conquest of Latin America.
Darwin's Origin of Species
Herodotus' Histories
Mitchell's Eclipses of the Sun
Lamont-Brown's Kamikaze
Daniels' Almanac of World History
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
Occupying Iraq (2003-2007)
Listen to "Occupying Iraq (2003-2007)"This episode covers the period between Bush's declaration of "Mission Accomplished" and the change in coalition leadership (from General Casey to General Petraeus). The following major events and topics are discussed:
- 2003: Deaths of Saddam's two sons (Qusay and Uday), capture of Saddam, Baathist Purge, National Museum looting, and Bremer's disbanding of the Iraqi Army.
- 2004: Sectarian violence and displacement, Operation Vigiliant Resolve (1st Fallujah), Battle of Ramadi, Battle of Husaybah, Battle of Mosul, Operation Phanton Fury (2nd Fallujah), Blackwater USA, medals of honor.
- 2005: January and December Legislative Elections, Battle of Haditha, Abu Ghraib.
- 2006: Handing three provinces to Iraqi authority, death of Zarqawi, execution of Saddam, Al-Askari mosque bombing, Operation Together Forward (Baghdad), Battle of Ramadi.
- 2007: Battle of Haifa Street (Baghdad), creation of the new Counterinsurgency Field Manual (3-24).
Iraq Study Group Report
Counterinsurgency Field Manual 3-24
No End in Sight (film)
http://iraq.liveleak.com/
www.iraqstatusreport.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFijzDyJnVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epfmuHr4_b8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGQaPYzFZ8o
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
The Philosophy of War (2)
Listen to "The Philosophy of War (2)"According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage in war". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do we fight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.
War is Necessary:
Aristotle says in Nicomachean Ethics that "we fight war so that we may live in peace". This notion is echoed by many other famous thinkers including Marx (an advocate of a final proletarian revolution in order to establish a worker's paradise) and Zoroaster (the first monotheist to discuss the final battle of judgment between good and evil).
War is Logical:
Using Darwin's logic, mankind continues to fight wars because it is the means through which our species survives. Thomas Malthus adapted this into a population argument, stating that humans fight wars in order to keep populations small and manageable. Samuel Huntington took this one step further by saying that war negates massive youth bulges. Lastly, John Nash (the economist) proved, through game theory, that war is a more logical choice than peace.
War is Accidental:
AJP Taylor argued that all wars are unintended and unhappy escalations of smaller conflicts. Warmongering is neither inherent nor unavoidable. Taylor's ideas link closely to the pacifistic ideas of Tolstoy and Gandhi.
For more information, read:
Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
Communist Manifesto by Marx
Holy Avesta, Holy Bible, Holy Qur'an
Origin of Species by Darwin
An Essay on the Principle of Population by Malthus
Environmental Science by Richard Wright
Clash of Civilizations by Samuel Huntington
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
The Philosophy of War (1)
Listen to "The Philosophy of War (1)"According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage in war". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do we fight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.
War is Rational:
Sun Tzu argued that political struggles would eventually lead to armed conflict. Clausewitz took this one step further by saying that "war is a mere continuation of policy by other means". Machiavelli completed this entire line of thought by saying that war was the most efficient means of attaining any political goal.
War is Inevitable:
Hobbes argued that humans are inherently violent. Raymond Dart and Robert Ardrey found a scientific basis for this by claiming that homo sapiens became the dominant humanoid through their martial prowess (and we have kept this prowess ever since). Another group of philosophers believe that war can be attributed to the reckless aggression caused by testosterone in males.
For more information, read:
Sun Tzu's Art of War
Clausewitz's On War
Machiavelli's The Prince
Mao's Quotations
Hobbes' Leviathan
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
Joan of Arc
Listen to "Joan of Arc"Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was a poor peasant girl from Lorraine. One day, she had a vision in which three saints urged her to lead the French to victory over the English in the Hundred Years' War. She traveled to Charles VII's court and was appointed head of the French Army (headed to relieve the besieged city of Orleans) because her unlikely presence would inspire hope in the French forces. Upon arriving in Orleans, Joan launched several counterattacks against the English and broke the siege in only eight days. Then, she led a campaign to clear the English out of the Loire River Valley, eventually liberating the city of Reims.
During a later skirmish, Joan was captured and tried for heresy. She was found guilty and burned at the stake. Later, she was exonerated and made a saint. She has served a symbol of French nationalism and feminist pride ever since.
For more information, read:.
Joan of Arc: Her Story by Regine Peroud Joan of Arc: A Military Appreciation by Stephen Richey
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and Audible
Frederick the Great
Listen to "Frederick the Great"Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, is considered the best commander of the European Enlightenment. Despite possessing relatively few people and resources, he transformed the tiny Prussian state into a great military power (which arguably wouldn't be brought down until 1945). Strategically, he modernized the Prussian military into a well-trained, well-disciplined unit. He taught them to fire faster, march with more precision, and deploy artillery quicker. Tactically, he employed oblique tactics which massed all units on one side of the battle line in order to sweep through the enemy forces one at a time (instead of all at once). This allowed Frederick to achieve victories against numerically-superior enemies at Hohenfriedberg, Rossbach, and Leuthen.
For more information, read:
Frederick the Great by Gerhard Ritter
Frederick the Great by Giles MacDonogh
Frederick the Great by Christopher Duffy
Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan
Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler
Extreme War by Terrence Poulos
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
Lincoln’s Assassination
Listen to "Lincoln's Assassination"President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a southern sympathizer and a self-proclaimed modern-day Brutus, on April 14th, 1865 (five days after the end of the Civil War). Booth snuck into Lincoln's viewing Booth at the Ford's Theater while Lincoln was watching "Our American Cousin" and shot him in the back of the head. Booth then jumped down onto the stage and ran out the back door. The ensuing manhunt eventually caught up with him in the swamps of the Potomac River. He was shot, and his co-conspirators were hanged.
The event has many interesting stories associated with it:
- Lincoln had a dream in which he walked into the East Room of the White House and saw a casket. He asked the soldiers why there was a casket and the soldiers told him that the President had been assassinated. He had the dream three days before being assassinated.
- Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son, stood by his father's body as he passed away. Strangely, Robert Todd Lincoln would also stand by the sides of Presidents Garfield and McKinley (both shot by assassins) as they lay dying.
- Robert Todd Lincoln once fell onto the train tracks but was saved by Edwin Booth, John's brother.
- Boston Corbett, the soldier who fatally wounded Booth, shot him in the exact same spot that Booth shot Lincoln.
- Vice President Johnson indirectly communicated with Booth on the day of the assassination. He stood to gain the most from the death of Lincoln.
- Confederate Secretary of State Judah Benjamin might have ordered the assassination of the opposing head of state for tactical reasons. Benjamin destroyed all of his records after the surrender, and then fled to England and never returned.
- Secretary of War Edwin Stanton disliked Lincoln for his moderate stance on many issues. Stanton prevented Ulysses Grant (and his military escort) from attending "Our American Cousin" with Lincoln (and potentially saving his life). He also lowered security on the bridge that Booth used to flee into Maryland. He also destroyed a few pages of Booth's diary before it was used as evidence in court.
The American Presidents by David Whitney
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (The History Channel)
The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told by Rick Beyer
http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln.html
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
Crassus vs. Spartacus
Listen to "Crassus vs. Spartacus"Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome. Before he joined the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Caesar, he struggled to make a name for himself. His big break came with the outbreak of the Third Servile War, when Spartacus led a slave rebellion throughout the Italian Peninsula. Spartacus and his men wreaked havoc throughout the region, defeating several Roman legions. Although his original plan was to escape to Gaul and head home, Spartacus decided to head south towards Sicily. However, his transport (the Cilician Pirates) failed to arrive in time, and Crassus was able to bring his legions in from behind to trap Spartacus. In the ensuing battle, Spartacus was killed and many more slaves were crucified. Crassus achieved some fame but in the end, his career would pale in comparison to Pompey and Caesar. He was killed in Parthia after a failed showing at the Battle of Carrhae by having molten gold poured down his throat.
For more information, read:
Plutarch’s Lives (http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/crassus.html)
http://www.livius.org/so-st/spartacus/spartacus.html
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine
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